So now the #7 pick who hasn't played in a year just out of high school is the hope this team gets better this year?
Yeah, everyone knows that kind of decision shouldn't happen until he plays his first summer league game.
And the next and the next. There are other hopes. We can hope Ant is just as good at SG as he was at PG which would make us pretty damn good. We can hope that taking Grant from the first option to the second or thirs drastically increases his offensive efficiency and allows him to concentrate again on defense. So I don't think we're pinning our hopes on one thing. That being said, I think this is an embalanced roster and it seems we could have done better but there is hope,
I agree that their team composition sucks (you have KAT and then you trade the farm for Gobert, wut?) but it's pretty dripping with talent concentrated in 3 guys and a bit beyond that as well. We will see how Sharpe turns out and if Ant is indeed the star I think he will be. If Sharpe can play SF and is a franchise player and Ant is a borderline All-Star or above (very realistic to me actually) then we might be better than Minnie talent-wise as well. I'm extremely optimistic about Ant and Sharpe both, but I would be shocked in the best kind of way if I could honestly say our team had more talent than the Wolves.
This was as of a couple of months before the start of last season. There may have been more added to the list closer to the beginning of the year. Chicago Bulls Acquired Lonzo Ball from Pelicans via sign-and-trade. Acquired DeMar DeRozan from Spurs via sign-and-trade. Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Alex Caruso. Cleveland Cavaliers Acquired Lauri Markkanen from Bulls via sign-and-trade. Dallas Mavericks Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Reggie Bullock. Used bi-annual exception on Sterling Brown. Houston Rockets Acquired Daniel Theis from Bulls via sign-and-trade. Miami Heat Acquired Kyle Lowry from Raptors via sign-and-trade. Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on P.J. Tucker. New Orleans Pelicans Acquired Devonte’ Graham from Hornets via sign-and-trade. Acquired Garrett Temple from Bulls via sign-and-trade. New York Knicks Acquired Evan Fournier from Celtics via sign-and-trade. Oklahoma City Thunder Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. San Antonio Spurs Acquired Doug McDermott from Pacers via sign-and-trade. Toronto Raptors Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Khem Birch. Washington Wizards Acquired Spencer Dinwiddie from Nets via sign-and-trade. Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Isaiah Todd.
It’s an average offseason, there should be some optimism around here even though I’d say it was a very average offseason, less than I expected but not a total fail. I’ll tell you what bugs me the most about our roster, why the fuck didn’t we keep Larry Nance Jr. Roster would be so much better right now. No way that was the deal breaker in the CJ trade.
lol...yeah, I read his tweet thinking exactly that. Bledsoe only means salary relief to a team that can absorb his contract into cap-space...and I think maybe no team can at this point?
The more I think about it the more I’m ok with what we did. We had two routes this summer. 1: Trade 7, future picks, Nas, etc for the best we could get—maybe OG or Collins or Ayton or someone like that. 2. Make a bet that one or more of Nas, Ant, and Sharpe pop this year and significantly increase their value. #2 occurring, plus picks and stuff, is the only way to a superstar. #1 doesn’t get you there and we blow our load on a mid-tier player. But I actually feel pretty confident that 1 of our 3, if not 2 or more, will pop and be worth more in 6 months than they are today. We can argue Payton vs. Warren or Jalen Smith and if that was the right call. But ultimately this is an inconsequential debate as far as our ultimate ceiling is concerned.
The Blazers look hard at trading the 7th. Ultimately, Ujiri wanted too much for Anunoby. That might have something to do with the Blazers "friendly" deals at the deadline. Gms seemed to think they could bilk Cronin. A pick above ours was traded for less than what Toronto was asking for in return for ours. It appears Atlanta is likely asking too much for Collins as he is yet to be moved. The only chance we were getting Ayton is jumping in on the Durant trade, if he does indeed go to Phoenix, but the Nets are over asking for Durant and won't get it. He will be a Net to start the season probably or they will be forced to come down dramatically in their asking price. It sounds like they want Booker/Paul or Booker/Bridges and a mass of picks that's not happening. The Blazers had to move on. Dont want to disgruntle Nurkic who already gets pissed rather easily. The Blazers likely tried to get many other players in FA before Payton. It's a matter who wants to come here. The list was also probably shortened to players of a defensive pedigree. TJ Warren still isn't signed. With his injuries he could maybe be had for a vet min. The Blazers put a defensive minded guard in the rotation around Dame and will hope Ant lives up to the money, Nas can stay healthy and Sharpe lives up to the hype. The Blazers played their cards. This is the hand they have now.